Listing Text

NORTH TAWTON
SS 60 SE
6/85 Westacott Barton
22.2.67
GV II*
Farmhouse. Late C15 or early C16 with late C16 alterations and late C16, C17 and
C18 additions. Rendered cob and stone rubble walls. Thatch roof hipped at left-
hand end and front of outbuilding wing, gabled to rear wing. C20 rendered stack at
right-hand end. C19 rendered axial stack; to left of centre is very unusual C17
brick stack with pilasters and moulded cornice.
Plan: very complex development of plan. Originally probably 3-room and through
passage plan but it is not clear where the passage was as it may have been moved.
Open to the roof from end to end with central hearth to hall. In the late C16 the
house was floored and the arrangement of rooms probably altered with a passage
towards th right-hand end and one room beyond it. The arrangement to the left of
the passage is more uncertain - at present there are 3 rooms but the left-hand one
is likely to be a C17 addition. The 2 central rooms are divided by an axial
fireplace heating the right-hand room but this is probably a C19 insertion whereas
the room to its left has a fireplace with the C17 brick stack above. There must
either have been 1 large heated room to the left of the passage or else 2 rooms with
an unheated central service room, possibly with a passage to its rear. Probably at
the same time that these alterations were effected a high quality parlour wing was
added at the rear of the passage. An adjoining stair wing for a framed staircase
was added slightly later when the plaster ceilings were inserted on both floors of
the wing - these date to about 1600. In the early-mid C17 a 1-room heated addition
was made at the left-hand end. In the C18 a linhay range was built on at the front
of it. C19 outshut added at rear.
Exterior: 2 storeys. Asymmetrical 5-window front with outbuilding wing projecting
from left-hand end. The 2 left-hand first floor windows and the left-hand ground
floor window are late C20 small-paned casements with top opening lights. Otherwise
early C20 small-paned casements on first floor and early C19 20-pane hornless sashes
to ground floor. 2 identical C20 part glazed gabled porches to left and right of
centre. Outbuilding wing (originally open-fronted) has 2 C20 plank doors to left
and C20 arched doorframe to right leading to passage from front to back of wing. On
one side this passage re-uses some C17 panelling. The parlour wing at the rear of
the right-hand end has a remarkable 10-light original wooden mullion window with
central king mullion. This and the frame are richly moulded whereas the mullions
are ovolo-moulded. Above it is a similar smaller 5-light window with gable above.
To its left is a small simpler C17 2-light wood mullion window with old leaded
panes. At rear is stair turret adjoining inner face of wing with separate roof and
C19 outshut to its right.
Interior has high quality late C16 or early C17 features. The most notable are the
2 decorative plaster ceilings in the rear wing - the ground floor one has a
geometric single-ribbed pattern of kite-shaped panels with angle sprays and Tudor
roses. In the chamber above is a canopied ceiling with a similar design
distinguished by a central pendant at which the lines converge. Both ceilings date
from the Period One of Devon Plasterwork - 1550-1600 and the design of the first
floor ceiling is very similar to one in the nearby Cottles Barton (q.v.). Above the
ground floor ceiling apparently are chamfered beams which strongly suggest that the
ceiling is an insertion. A C17 wooden doorframe leads into this room. The room to
the left of the passage has early C17 panelling on its partition wall to the passage
and also along part of its front wall. It also has a large C19 kitchen fireplace
with brick jambs and wooden lintel. The room to its left has 2 deep chamfered axial
beams and fireplace which has wooden lintel with pyramid stops to chamfer. The
left-hand room has chamfered cross beams with ogee stops. Small fireplace with
cambered wooden lintel which has hollow step stops to chamfer.
Roof: C17 roof over left-hand end room with straight principals which have collars
halved on with notched joints. The original range retains its smoke-blackened
medieval roof - the feet and the trusses are plastered over but some are curved.
Over the left-hand end the original smoke-blackened thatch survives. The roof
structure at this end was not available for a full inspection at the time of survey.
Tnis is an important house which has a medieval core but is most interesting for its
high quality late C16 and C17 remodelling with particularly good plasterwork.
Externally, its elaborate C17 brick stack is a very unusual early example in Devon.
Source : Devonshire Plasterwork - K and C French : T.D.A. 1957, Vol.89.

Listing NGR: SS6849002244

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